Topography Of War

Colombian artist Doris Salcedo created this arrangement of 1600 chairs placed precariously in an empty space between two buildings as an installation for the Istanbul Biennial in 2003. She refers to it as a “Topography of War”. It references conditions of forced displacement and how it equals a form of incarceration. These themes stem from her own personal history. Members of her family were among the many people who disappeared in politically troubled Colombia.

She discusses the installation here:

Via